Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Once upon a time,
I didn’t know anything about needlework of any kind.

So I researched
it. It was 1966; there was no
internet. Therefore, I went to the
Minneapolis Institute of Art, jumped a rope when nobody was looking, and lifted
the edge of a medieval tapestry to see how it was made. I didn’t learn much before I was discovered
and thrown out. The second time I tried
that, while enduring a Bum’s Rush to the exit, I protested. “But I want to learn!” “Get a book!” was the prompt suggestion.

So I did. The closest I could come to “How To Make a
Medieval Tapestry” was a McCall’s publication, “How To Do Needlepoint”. It was (and still is) very simple – get a
canvas, put the needle down in here, bring it up there. OK.

Off to the local
five-and-dime, the only store in town that carried yarns, notions, and
fabrics. The tapestry needle and wool
(not specifically “tapestry yarn”) were no problem to find. But the clerks didn’t know what needlepoint
canvas was. They showed me the available
canvas fabrics. Well, it didn’t look
like the mesh canvas in the book, but I wanted to get stitching, so I bought a
half-yard.

I drew a picture on the canvas and counted
the threads of the weave to achieve decent-looking stitches – two threads to
the right and three threads up. Of
course, it isn’t real needlepoint; it’s counted thread embroidery and very
wobbly since the fabric was definitely not an even-weave. But I finished it because I wanted to hang it
above my first son’s crib. When my
mother-in-law (an exquisite needle-worker) saw it, she first laughed and then
educated me about the characteristics of a proper needlepoint canvas, proper
tapestry yarns, and where, properly, to get them. My second piece was much more correct.

But not more
appealing. This, my first piece, shows
heart, determination and ingenuity.
Stitching it taught me many things, not the least of which is the beauty
and efficacy of impropriety.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Our smallish group
was all seated, chatting, waiting for only two more members to arrive before
the Bible study could begin.We ranged
in age of 30-something to 93.The
late-comers were our oldest member and her ride.Soon they arrived and amid greetings, we
shuffled to begin the study.Carolyn
approached her seat slowly, but smiling as at a huge joke.She got to her chair, but remained standing
behind it until all of us settled down and were looking at her questioningly.

“How many of you
remember World War One?” she beamed.

Sheesh! Most of us didn’t remember WWII and some of
us were babies during Vietnam!

But our 84-year-old
said, “Well, I remember the end of it. I
was a very little girl, but I remember there was a big celebration, a picnic at
one of the neighboring farms. My family
all rode over there in the buckboard.”

“Well,” said
Carolyn, “ I was born in 1904, so I remember it very well. See this scarf?” and she lifted the end of
the simple, light brown piece of needlework draped around her neck, “I made
this scarf when I was 12 years old. My
mother taught my sister and I how to knit, and we made scarves for the
soldiers. She let us each keep one. My sister lost hers, but I’ve held on to mine
because I made it and it reminds me of my mother. I’ve been wearing it for over 60 years! And look how well it’s held up! No holes or worn spots! And the color’s still good too!”

We looked – it
was!

“Now, “ said
Carolyn, “do you know why it’s held up so good?” And we waited for her answer without offering
any interruptive guesses.

“Because,” she
said impressively, “it’s made of good wool.
Let that be a lesson to you.”

Monday, July 2, 2012

Anyone can learn
to knit.Anyone can teach him or herself
to knit.Anyone can achieve good results
with good tools.The better the tools,
the better the results.So start, right
from the beginning, with good yarn, good needles and good instruction.

For the yarn,
choose an all-natural fiber, either cotton or wool.My personal favorite for beginners is Tahki’s
Cotton Classic, a cabled cord, or Lily’s Sugar & Cream, an inexpensive yarn
that makes great dishcloths.In wool,
Brown Sheep’s Lamb’s Pride worsted, a one-ply yarn, works well.All of these yarns do not split easily and
render a nice even stitch.You’ll like
the look of it.DO NOT use acrylic yarn
to start with!I know it’s cheap, but it
splits and the stitches warp -- and your efforts will end up looking cheap,
too.Acrylic yarn is very discouraging
stuff.

The needles should
fit the task.Since the task is learning
and practicing, a 10” length in size 6, 7, or 8 will do (don’t worry; you’ll
use them again for scarves and small projects).Longer needles get caught in the upholstery, and big chunky needles are
unwieldy for beginners.Whether you use
wood or metal needles is up to you.Bamboo gives a little surface tension so the stitches don’t slide off as
easily; metal needles are slicker.Choose whichever is most comfortable and esthetically pleasing to
you.I would not recommend
interchangeable needles to start with because the tips and cables can loosen
slightly and catch the yarn.

Good instruction
can be found in books or videos.Coat’s
& Clark publishes the Learn How
booklet covering knitting, crochet and tatting.It’s good for the basics (and has been around for decades).Another reference book to eventually have on
your shelf is The Knitter’s Companion
by Vicki Square, which briefly but comprehensively describes and depicts all
the basic knitting functions.For
accurate and simple video demonstrations, I recommend www.knitwitch.com.Brittany goes slow, repeats operations and
has the loveliest mellow teaching voice I’ve ever heard – it calmly lulls you
into confidence!